Six months

Six months old today… a genuine milestone. A half-birthday. Your precious first year already half behind us… sniff. (Yes, I am pretty sure that I am going to get increasingly weepy the older you get… might as well get used to it now.)

This month was a lot of fun. The biggest change has been starting you on solid foods. We managed to hold you off until a couple of weeks ago, but finally caved. You inhaled your first bit of rice cereal within a couple of minutes, literally grabbing the spoon out of our hands and shoving it into your mouth. So much for worrying about you needing to ‘learn’ how to eat! So far we’ve given you some different cereals and biscuits, and are just starting into the vegetables. I know ‘they say’ to wait a while between introducing each new food, but I am dying to let you taste new things, and would do so every day if I could. It’s hilarious to watch.

Unfortunately, the solids haven’t helped your sleeping patterns any. In fact, for the past few weeks you have resumed your night waking. We have tried to soothe you back to sleep without a feeding – I have even sent Chad in to do the dirty work – but you’ll have none of it. I’m hoping this is just a growth spurt and not a sign of things to come. The crying-it-out thing is pretty much over. There was only one night that you cried for a long time. Now, you are accustomed to being put down when you’re still awake. Sometimes you cry for a minute or two in protest, but most of the time you smile and roll over and go to sleep. This has been a really welcome development. You are almost past spitting up – it still happens occasionally, but not nearly as much as before. And we are still waiting for your first teeth.

The big finale to the summer running season was a major race for both Chad and I this month. You travelled with us to both events and cheered from the sidelines. A bit boring, perhaps, to wait on the side of the road for me at Point Pelee – but in Toronto, we rode the streetcar several times to see Chad at various points along the course. You seemed to enjoy that. It was also your first time staying in a hotel, and you managed to work your way out of the rickety little crib and into our ultra-luxurious king sized bed. You then proceeded to pee all over the comforter. We can dress you up, but can’t take you anywhere…

With our rigorous running schedules thankfully behind us for another year, it’s been fun to take you along on more leisurely runs outside. We don’t go too far or too fast, and I think you enjoy this fast-forwarded view of the world. But dude, it is so hard to tell. You will privately cavort around the house, shrieking with glee at something particularly funny or entertaining, and occasionally crying when you get frustrated or scared or tired. But when we take you out in public, or someone else comes into our home, you are so quiet and so serious – you sit back and get completely mellow and just drink it in. And I would kill to know what you are thinking at these times. Are you shy? Scared? Bored silly? I don’t want to wish away any of your babyhood, but I am so looking forward to you learning how to talk just to hear what you have to say.

There are several other new activities you’ve been into this month, too. You sit up on your own quite well now, and love to play from that vantage. I still sit behind you to prevent the occasional face plant, but you can keep your balance on your own for several minutes at a time. We’ve started letting you use the walker that Renee gave us. You love this thing. Walkers may be illegal in Canada, but we keep a close eye on you and let you have some fun. And, now that the weather is starting to get iffy and we’re not getting out for walks as much, we’ve started swimming once a week at the Blenheim pool with Anne, Reece and Elliot. We spend an hour in the pool, with you either in a dolphin boat or in my arms – and while you don’t hate it, you don’t love it, either. At least, not that I can tell. You have that poker face thing going on again.

We’ve been making some big changes around the house for the past few weeks, for your benefit. The dining room furniture has been moved into the (rearranged) living room, and the former dining room is now a den. It’s a great place for you to play. It’s on the main floor, right off the kitchen, and I can close the door if needed. There’s a hardwood floor that’s perfect for the contraband walker, too…

At six months old, you weigh xx pounds and are xx inches long. I took some pictures of you and Autum playing at the OEYC this week, and Chad said you look like such a little kid in them – you’re off playing with your friends, really looking like you know what you’re doing. I know what he means. You’ve come a long, long way in six months.